It takes perseverance, fortitude, and vision to pursue a career as a filmmaker. The road ahead can be challenging. It is exceedingly challenging for aspiring young people to break into the industry because film directors are frequently employed based on their prior work history. Young filmmakers must first establish themselves as independents in order to build up a body of work that will appeal to potential producers and financiers . Chidi Anyanwu Chidox aka “De Legal Entertainer “. an accomplished writer, director, and producer, talks about his experiences as a filmmaker and his perspectives..
Introduce yourself to Fabmimi
CHIDOX: My name is Chidi Anyanwu Chidox aka “De Legal Entertainer “. I am from Imo state, a Lawyer, a Writter, producer, Director & actor. So just call me a film maker. I am just a humble & simple person by nature who believes that the sky is very big to accommodate everybody. So I operate on the principle of “live & let others live” “Believe in yourself, work hard, don’t give up & in all you do put God first”
I am so committed to making good movies & is evident in the kind of movies I have done & doing. I will just list them out so that you can check them out. Movies like “Baby blues, blue Jay, the promise, my sister’s man, body cam, a calm before the storm, couple RIVALRY, cracked mirror, Standing in, young sin, Awelle etc The movies are so plenty that I can go on & on. So you can check them out on YouTube channels then you will understand what I am talking about.
What do you look for in a script?
CHIDOX: Because I direct movies for different production companies. When they want me to work for them. They usually send me a script first which I go through to see what story we doing. Sometimes when I don’t like the story I tell them, we either amend it or change it. Basically what I look for in a script is how it is written; the storyline. How is it plotted, are there twists & suspense in it? Does the story make sense, is it engaging? Is it something people will love to sit down & watch to the end? Is it realistic? And at the end does is teach anything or drive any serious message home? Those are the key things I look forth in a script before I do it
How do you select your cast and crew?
CHIDOX: You see your crew are the team that drives the production. So I am always skeptical about that. But the way our production system is set up in nollywood is such that most production houses have their in house Crew members so if you are called to work with them you have to work who they have. But most times when I can I recommend the people I love to work with. As for cast, it is something the producer, Executive Producer & Director do. They sit to cast the artists for the production. But when I am producing the job myself I can do that all alone.
What checks and balances do you do when managing budgets?
CHIDOX: Above everything, there is a business plan in every movie. It is done so that it can be sold to make money. So bearing that in mind when planning for a movie. I always ensure we don’t do something with over high budget so that at the end it won’t be difficult to sell the film, get back the capital invested with profit
Have you ever had to handle a difficult conflict in your career? What did you learn from it?
CHIDOX: Yes! Coming up those days I did movies that I had convinced the owners that it will sell. But at the end it was difficult to sell. Even getting back money used in doing them was hard. Those weren’t good times I must say. In all of that it taught me a lot that I must be careful of the kind of stories I shoot & that it is not every artist that can sell a movie. These days I don’t make those kind of mistakes again (Laughs).
What would you change in a movie you produced that you believe would make it better?
CHIDOX: Artists
What, in your experience, is your most important quality as a producer? Which movie was your top job and why?
CHIDOX: The thing is I am born to do what I doing today. From when I was a little boy I have always been a good story teller who needed a platform like movie making to express myself & those who knew me growing could attest to this. So movie Making is something I do with passion. When I am doing a movie, I bring in my best with ease & give those working with me this peaceful atmosphere to express themselves. This helps to bring the best in them. As for the movie I consider my top best that will be tough to say because I have done a lot of good movies. I mean a lot that I can’t even pick one to say this is the best because they are all awesome. The reviews of my movies on YouTube says it all.
How do you manage celebrities on set considering the fact that some are hard to manage , Describe an experience when you had to resolve a conflict between a crew member and a cast. How did you manage the situation?
CHIDOX: Yes, some artists are difficult to deal with I must say. When you are working with them you have to pet them & handle them like an egg to avoid unnecessary conflict during the production that could delay the job. The good thing is every artiste we have worked with we know & understand their ways so we know how to manage them. I have had several instances where there was a misunderstanding or a fall out between artists & some crew members. The production was paused & put on a hold. We took time to resolve the issues & then continued. The good thing they are usually resolvable issues is just the time it takes.
What is the most difficult production problem you had to solve?
CHIDOX: Nothing really other than what I explained in the previous question.
What experience do you have in movie production?
CHIDOX: Movie making comes with different experiences depending on the production. I have done movies I had less stress. The cast & Crew had good time working. I have also done ones that were stressful. Everybody was complaining.
What films have you produced in the past?
CHIDOX: I did “secondary school girls, career woman, barrister Anita, educated housemates, my taxi driver, Jakkie goes to school, our community secondary school, born again sisters, etc.
What is highest amount you have n budgeted for a movie?
CHIDOX: When I was supposed to do a movie about Chibok girls three years ago. We had budgeted 55 million naira which is my highest budget.
How long do you anticipate the production process of a movie ?
Except it is a series, it does take long from preproduction to post production before the movie is released. Three weeks is enough to shoot a movie, have it edited & released
How do you get your locations? Do you film only in a particular location or do you travel round the country. Have you done movies out Nigeria before?
CHIDOX: The story we are telling determines the location. If it an epic story the Eastern part of the country becomes it because there are better locations there. Also we consider were it is cost effective for locations, condulsive environment for filming etc. We film in Lagos, Abuja, Owerri, Asaba & Enugu. We also film in Ghana; we have a lot of good movies we made in Ghana
What production houses have you worked with & which would you say is your favorite & why?
I started my career as a film writer under one & two film Production. Sir Uchenna Mbunabo, saw the talent in me then when nobody did. I came into his company then as a writer. I wrote couple of movies for him. Later became a production manager under him. As years passed by I started Directing. When some of the movies we did came out people liked them & that was how it started for me. I worked for Divine Touch movies, I wrote & directed a whole lot of movies for them, I did same for sunshine movies then, did same for Pressing forward movies. I did a whole lot of movies for plenty other producers. I will say I spent more time with Divine touch movies & one & two production more than I did anywhere else. Working with Mr Kingsley Okereke of Divine Touch was amazing I must say & I learned a lot under him because we learn everyday. But because I started my career with One & two films & I am still with them till date. Most of my hit & most excellent movies are with them. I will say one & two film Production is my favorite place. The CEO Sir Uchenna Mbunabo, is a good man who treats those who work for him nicely. Above all, his love for good movies & also ensuring he produces the best of Nollywood movies is something to commend. That’s why his YouTube channel @uchennambunabotv is the best place to get the best of Nollywood movies.
